Such a JIT has never been formed in history: Barrister Zafarullah

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has refused to accept the Supreme Court verdict disqualifying Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister, saying that constitution of such a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was unprecedented.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Barrister Zafarullah, along with Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal, Zahid Hamid, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Anousha Rehman, said that they were seeing writing on the wall as they were expecting that justice would not be done with them.

Barrister Zafarullah, while expressing reservations over the verdict, said that it had happened for the first time that the court monitored the proceedings of the JIT. “How the trial can be fair when the Supreme Court judges monitor the JIT working,” he asked, adding that now a judge would overlook the process of references against Nawaz Sharif and his family members as directed by the Supreme Court.

Saad Rafique said the PML-N had not accepted the decision and Mian Nawaz Sharif was consulting his legal advisers in the wake of the verdict. He maintained that the PML-N would make a comeback with more strength “with our own conditions before the next elections so that the mandate of masses is not insulted in this way,” adding that now the next would be the bigger decision as to how interference of institutions in other institutions is stopped.

Saad, while calling articles 62 and 63 as encroachment on the Constitution, said that it was not a historic day but would be remembered as a dark day when an elected prime minister was shown the door in one and a half minutes. “We want supremacy of elected institutions,” he maintained. He said it was also their fault that they could not repeal articles 62 and 63 in the Constitution. “Now the story of Sadiq and Ameen will not be confined to Nawaz Sharif and it should also apply to others.”

He said they were implementing the decision but would not accept it. “There will be no anarchy as we have appealed to workers that they remain peaceful,” he said.

Saad Rafique questioned as to which corruption or misuse of power was proved against Nawaz Sharif. “But now we will come back with more strength but not with tied hands,” he said.

He said that Nawaz Sharif was punished for making Pakistan a nuclear power, safeguarding national interests and his stance on issues of Qatar and Yemen. “We know as to what is crime of Nawaz Sharif who is founder of the nuclear Pakistan and N-League,” he said.

Saad Rafique said that nobody could stop them from contacting the court of masses; and following Friday’s verdict, Nawaz Sharif would be more lethal for his political enemies. He also called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran as a pawn and show boy who acted on the advices of foreign hands, saying that it was also difficult for opponents of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to digest the mega project. He said the PML-N did not get justice in the case. He said Nawaz Sharif was punished for not compromising over national sovereignty. 

Ahsan Iqbal, who was minister for planning and development before dissolution of the federal cabinet on Friday, also expressed reservations over the SC verdict. He said a mountain was made out of a molehill in the Panama case.

“One day the judgement will be studied as case study in law institutions as to what was the prayer and what decision was announced,” he said.

He said the PML-N workers should be proud of the fact that no charges of corruption or misuse of authority were proved against their top leader. He questioned as to what was manufacturing fault with all the prime ministers in country’s 70-year history that none of them could complete five-year tenure.

Anousha Rehman said that one’s wisdom could not understand as to what decision has been announced. “Today I am ashamed of the fact that as to why I joined profession of lawyer,” she said.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that they reserve the right to challenge the decision, saying that story started from Godfather and end at mafia. “We will go to court of people as no corruption has been proved against Muhammad Nawaz Sharif,” he said.

Abbasi told newsmen that Nawaz Sharif resigned as the prime minister before issuance of notification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said presently there is a constitutional crisis and no government in the country.

Zahid Hamid said their reservations over report of JIT were not looked into, adding that as to how the salary of FZE which was not receivable was received.

Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz in her different tweets on Friday said: “The history bears witness. Thanks God the PML-N stands united, more resolute & unfazed. That's also unprecedented.”

In another tweet addressed to the workers of the party she asked them “why are you in grief since it is not for the first time that your leader is facing ouster and trial. Every such act has made him stronger. History bears witness”.

In her third tweet she said: “Today will pave the way for Nawaz Sharif's resounding victory in 2018. He will be unstoppable. Insha'Allah. Rok sakte ho to rok lo ! (Stop him you can).  

Agencies add: Barrister Zafarullah said it has happened for the first time that a party has sent the government packing through the court. He said the SC verdict did not fulfil requirements of justice. He said the case was heard by three judges, while the verdict was announced by five judges.

He said the case against Nawaz Sharif started with the petitions of Imran Khan, Sirajul Haq and Sheikh Rashid on the grounds that he should be disqualified for owning four flats in London, evasion of taxes and mis-declaration of assets. 

Nawaz Sharif, he said, decided that he would not seek protection through legal technicalities. On April 20, two judges gave the verdict against him in the Panama Papers case while three other judges referred the case to a JIT, he added.

"We had our reservations about the JIT but the Sharif family continued to present itself for investigation," Zafarullah said. He alleged that those who appeared before the JIT were threatened and were asked to turn into approvers against the Sharif family. He said first Imran Khan alleged that Rs50 billion corruption was done, later the amount was reduced to Rs10 billion, while Nawaz Sharif was disqualified on a different issue. He claimed that Nawaz Sharif could not be disqualified on charges of commission, kickbacks and purchase of flats. "He is not disqualified on charges of corruption," he said. 

Barrister Zafarullah said since 1947, no prime minister had completed his tenure. He said a field marshal stayed in power for 11 years, while two generals ruled the country for long periods. He said politicians in Pakistan had given sacrifices and would continue to do so. 

Marriyum Aurangzeb said Nawaz Sharif was a political reality and the heartthrob of the masses, who had elected him thrice as prime minister of Pakistan.

She said that Nawaz Sharif was a leader of the people in his own right who did not need the chair of the prime minister to establish his credentials in this regard. She was talking to the media after the Supreme Court verdict disqualifying the prime minister. Marriyum said that Nawaz Sharif could neither be driven out of the hearts of the people nor stopped from serving them, adding that today was the darkest day of our history.

She said that seen in the historic backdrop, the decision of the apex court was not surprising but very regrettable. She remarked that neither in the SC verdict nor in the report of the JIT proved a single case of corruption or misappropriation of public money by Nawaz Sharif during his stints in power as prime minister and chief minister of Punjab.

She said that the party would go through the detailed verdict and consult its legal and constitutional experts to firm up its appropriate response and future line of action.

Marriyum said that some decisions were given by the courts and some were delivered by history and the masses and Nawaz Sharif had invariably been vindicated by history and the court of the masses.